Good Prof, Bad Prof
by Rico Perrien
Summary: Some of the Hogwarts staff discuss the new crop of students expected in the fall.


**Good Prof, Bad Prof**

**Rating:** T No Ships One Chapter

**Summary: **The Heads of House get together with the Headmaster to discuss strategy, in the summer of 1991. A conspiracy is hatched.

**Disclaimer**: I have no rights to any of the characters or locations in the Potter-verse, which belong to J.K Rowling and her cohorts. Wish I did, I can use the money. I get nothing material from writing these stories other than enjoyment, and nasty looks from people who think I should be doing other things with my time.

**Author's Notes:**

The social politics at Hogwarts has puzzled me, given that Severus Snape was a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Why such a school would allow blatant abuse and bigotry is odd, unless there was a plan behind it.

I would like to thank Whitehound for his corrections of my incompetent "Britspeak".

**Dumbledore's Office, July 8****th****, 1991**

The Heads of House came into the Headmaster's office at 9 AM on the morning of July 8th. Classes were over, marking had been finished, O.W.L and N.E.W.T. assessments were in, and the teachers were switching into holiday mode. This was obvious from their apparel, and in their informality.

Albus Dumbledore was wearing lederhosen in preparation for leaving that afternoon for his vacation to the Tyrolean Alps, Severus Snape was in a Black Sabbath T-shirt and jeans, Pomona Sprout was wearing shorts and a khaki shirt, with a bandana tied around her bushy head of hair (planning to do some recreational gardening), Filius Flitwick had a casual shirt and slacks, and Minerva McGonagall was wearing a flower-print summer dress with her waist length hair tied in a pony tail going all the way down her back.

Dumbledore opened the meeting. "Thank you all for coming in, before you head out for a well-deserved holiday. We have just finalized the list of potential new students, and there are some matters we need to discuss, and maybe think about how to handle things come autumn. However, before we start, I wish to acknowledge Professor Flitwick's usual efficiency with the 'contraceptus' charms on the home-going Hogwarts Express – Poppy Pomfrey says that her surveillance charms indicate no pregnancies this year from the trip home, unlike last year, although there are three due to the seventh years' end-of-term party. Thanks Fil."

Professor McGonagall passed out parchments with the list of the 50 new possible entrants to Hogwarts who were to get 'letters'. The admissions list was based on the historical trend of four or five girls and the same number of boys sorted into each of the four houses - a couple of the students would pick other wizarding schools which had invited their attendance, and some muggle-borns and half-bloods might be expected to attend muggle boarding schools, or local schools near their homes. Typically, the first years' dormitories ended up with about four of each gender per house.

A number of names on the lists were marked in red, and some names were blinking on and off to attract special attention.

Dumbledore continued, "Thanks, Minnie. As you all can see, there are a number of names which warrant close inspection. I think that this is the year we will start to see evidence of Voldemort's return." The others shuddered at the thought that the evil was about to return.

Albus shared their apprehension. "Sev, you will notice the usual bunch of pure-blood brats, excuse me treasured offspring, who think they are God's gift to the universe. I expect most of them with end up in Slytherin. There are three which I suspect are going to try your patience and put your disguise at some risk, as they are all kids of known Death Eaters. I assume anything that happens here will get right back to Mummy and Daddy really fast, and then to Hisself."

Snape looked at the list. "Yeah, I've met them all. Hmm, young Malfoy. He at least has some brains, and maybe some potential to eventually break free of the bigots, if pushed in the right way. Have to be cautious with that one though, as he is pretty full of himself. Crabbe and Goyle, junior editions, are a waste of breathable air as far as I am concerned. But I guess I will have to help them along and praise them to the skies. Little Parkinson would be walking streets in a couple years if her family wasn't so well connected; as it is, I would expect her to only cater to a high-class pure-blood clientele."

Sprout looked at Snape with a shocked look, "Isn't that a bit harsh for a young innocent girl?"

Snape looked back and said "I'm sorry to be so dismissive, Mona, but once you meet her, I am afraid you will agree. Innocent, she is not. I expect, by third year, she will be the only student whose monetary supplies increase over the school year."

Minerva spoke up, "Well, at least we know your opinion, Sev." The others laughed at this understatement. She then looked at the rest of the group and whispered "Oh Merlin, Harry Potter. I had forgotten he will be turning eleven."

Snape looked exasperated "Oh Lord, not another Potter!" Flitwick and Sprout looked at him with curiosity, not understanding his reluctance.

Dumbledore said "Yes Sev, another Potter. But please remember, this is not the one who made your school years a living hell. He's not the one who stole and married the woman you had loved and who rejected you when you fell in with Voldemort. This is a boy who, for reasons of blood wards and security, has been living with his only relatives, who are muggles who have been denying his birthright, and who have been abusing him for ten years worse than James Potter ever did to you. And according to the prophecy I told you about, he is our best bet to finish Voldemort off for good and finally end this war and the bigotry it is based on."

Snape responded "Oh crap, you mean our future depends on an emotionally crippled little boy who has no idea of magic? Maybe I will take that teaching post in Tasmania after all."

Pomona Sprout piped up "What do we need to do, Al? We have to figure out a way to protect the school and our world." She was not the head of Hufflepuff for nothing.

Dumbledore said "I think I have an idea. It's a combination of standard military basic training and something I saw on American telly during last summer's holiday in California.

"The basic training part is that you push people to their limits while teaching them to work as a team and giving them the skills to fight. You break them down, and then build them up again how you want them.

"The telly idea is from police shows, when they were interrogating suspects. It's called, 'good cop, bad cop'. One policeman abuses the suspect, and the other intervenes and is friendly, trying to get the suspect to feel they have an ally they can trust."

Snape got a nasty smile on his face, "I suspect I am going to be the 'bad cop'. Yes?"

Dumbledore smiled "I'm afraid so. And Minnie or Fil, I suspect one or both of you two is going to have to be the 'good' cop."

Professor Sprout looked a bit hurt. "Al, why not me? I can be a friend to an abused student."

Dumbledore looked at her, and said "Mona, I don't mean to imply anything of the kind. It's just that, given what has passed for his 'home' life, I can't see him being sorted into Hufflepuff. He has had absolutely no reason to feel any loyalty to anybody or anything, so I just can't see the Hat sorting him your way. However, that doesn't mean you can't help him as much as you can while not being his Head.

"Sev, I also don't think he will end up in Slytherin. First, all his troubles spring from your House. Two, again from his 'upbringing', if I can even use that term without severe irony, he has not shown any degree of cunning except to try keep out of the way of his uncle and cousin. Without much success, I might add, so not Slytherin.

"He appears to be clever, and by just getting up in the morning in that house, he shows a certain courage, so Fil and Minnie, I expect the Hat to give him to one of you. I would ask that you give him as much support as you can, without being so blatant that it attracts undue attention from the Board of Governors (given who most of them are).

"We will set him some tasks to try develop his courage and fighting skills. I just hope they are enough."

McGonagall raised a question "Al, you spoke of teamwork. Who do you see as being part of his team?"

"Ah, glad you asked, as that may be a bit of a problem. There are three other students I would like you to look at. They are all loners, and feel like outsiders to a degree. One is a girl, Hermione Granger. Muggleborn, brilliant student, bossy know-it-all, likely to annoy the hell out of almost anyone she comes in contact with until she smoothes out the rough corners. Convinced she is always right, and not afraid to show it. I suspect she will be sorted into either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."

Flitwick asked "And the others?"

Dumbledore continued, "One, the youngest son of an old pureblood family you all are familiar with, Ron Weasley. He feels neglected, since his mother absolutely dotes on her daughter a year younger– he feels that he was his parents' biological failure when they really wanted a girl. I have to say I am really disappointed in Molly on this point, for all her good qualities. He feels put upon because of his accomplished older brothers. Has no self-confidence, but the family has a history of fierce tempers and bravery; you know they fought in the last war, and none of their family was hurt."

Snape snickered, "Maybe like his twin older brothers, I should think. Courageous because they are too stupid to notice how dangerous their stunts are. His other brothers are quite a crew as well, two getting out of the house to get away from their mother as soon as they graduated. One a prefect and a perfect prig."

Dumbledore continued, "True, but Ron shows some promise. He shows family loyalty, even though he feels like a bit of an outsider. I understand that he is a very clever chess player. He could prove a strong fierce companion, and with training, may be a good warrior in the cause."

Snape snickered, "If he doesn't kill himself in the process. Where do you think he will end up. I don't see him ending up in Slytherin, in spite of his chess. Might be Hufflepuff, but there hasn't been a Weasley anywhere but Gryffindor for nine generations. None clever enough for Ravenclaw, and a couple had to take their shoes off to count past ten."

Pomona asked, "And the other?"

Albus sighed, "I'm afraid another emotional cripple. He is a pureblood, raised by his grandmother because his parents had been tortured to insanity during the first war by Bellatrix Lestrange and others. Also a possible 'candidate' to fulfill the prophecy, as he was born the same month as Potter, and his parents defied Voldy. Neville Longbottom. Clever, and comes from a courageous family, so a possible Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."

Severus shook his head. "Not the most promising army to fight the most powerful wizard in the world." Dumbledore coughed theatrically. Snape laughed and said "Yeah, yeah, yeah, present company excepted, of course." They all laughed.

"Yes, yes, Sev. I think that if we can get these four together, they could be a good team – a fierce fighter and strategist, a brilliant analyst, a potential fighter with a mean grudge, and the kid who managed to survive. I would like to ask Fil to apply some charms on the Express this fall, so that they end up in the same compartment." (Flitwick nodded at the request). Dumbledore continued, "I think that they have enough in common that they may become friends, or if not friends, at least allies. I'm just not sure of the Granger girl. Now, the good cop, bad cop.

"I don't where the Hat is going to put them, but we need to bring their skills up, particularly Harry's as he has had no exposure to our world. We need to build his confidence, and we need to help him feel he has somewhere he belongs and that he can feel some loyalty towards. Mostly, we need him to feel that there is a stake in him protecting our world, and not 'taking a teaching position in Tasmania'." The group laughed, while Snape blushed.

"However, Sev, we also need to piss him off! Severely! We need to make him angry at the injustices, such as the pure-bloods being favoured over the rest. We need to get him as annoyed as possible at his treatment by his relatives. And we need him to be ready, even hungry, to go after Voldemort and really finish him this time.

"And Sev, I think that task falls to you, as the 'bad cop'. It keeps up your cover with the pure-bloods (particularly that Voldy wannabee Lucius Malfoy, who would really like to take over the surviving Death Eaters if he could swing it). If he finds out your personal history, by accident or design, he will think that your apparent behaviour makes sense. And you will be in a position to protect him from the more malicious attacks by the vicious bunch of two-legged hyenas you ride herd on."

Severus Snape looked around at his colleagues and asked, "Does anyone know what he looks like now?"

Minerva answered, "He looks a lot like his father."

Snape said, "Yeah, I think I can play bad cop."


End file.
